Guess Who Will Play Jesus in New Audio Drama ‘The Christ’

Published: March 26, 2026

By Michaela Gordoni

TASK star Tom Pelphrey takes on a new role as Jesus in a new audio drama called “The Christ.”

“I was simultaneously so excited and deeply intimidated,” Pelphrey said. “Truly, in a way that I don’t really get. So yeah, it was a new experience for me.”

The drama will release during Holy Week, starting on March 30, and highlights Jesus’ life and resurrection. It spans four episodes. David Oyelowo stars as Pontius Pilate, Paul Walter Hauser as John the Baptist, Patricia Heaton as host, John Rhys-Davies as narrator and THE YOUNG AND RESTLESS’ Courtney Hope as Mary.

“I really love the format,” Pelphrey said. “It reminds me more of almost reading a book, where you get to participate with your imagination. You get to lean into the story and almost make it personal, because we’re not dictating every aspect of it to you.”

“When I’m acting in front of the camera, I trust that whatever I’m doing physically will naturally come across in the sound,” he added. “But here you’re sitting in a booth, in a chair, and you’re not doing anything physically. So how do you make a sound that feels true when your body’s not involved?”

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It was a learning experience for the actor, who primarily does camera work.

“You want as much color as possible in the sounds coming out of your mouth,” he explained. “It’s just a different way of working.”

“I’ve certainly spent a lot of time thinking about what the Passion would have been like,” he said. “It’s obviously very heavy. I just tried my best to find ways to let that come through in an audio booth.”

The podcast points people toward Jesus’ mercy.

“I think the podcast does a beautiful job of reminding us of His mercy,” he said. “Just to be reminded of mercy…That’s literally the only goal here. That’s what we want.”

His co-star Hope said she was shocked to get the role as Mary.

“That’s such a powerful experience to go on right? A journey. I’m honored, and I was so excited to accept it,” she said.

“I truly believe every, every moment in my career, I believe God has absolutely orchestrated in his divine way and had his his hands all over it,” she explained. “This project came about in a moment where I truly believe that this role was an answer that I had posed to God in a question.”

“The Christ” also offers an already-available five-day devotional through a plan on YouVersion and via a downloadable PDF. The podcast story’s first episode will be available on Apple Podcast, Spotify and YouTube on March 30.

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